CDs are drawing renewed interest, with John Lewis reporting a 96% rise in searches for CD players since July and a report finding CD sales up 16%. The music fans interviewed said they value physical ownership, easier choices, access to music that may not be on streaming services, and a more deliberate listening experience.
Key Facts
John Lewis said searches for CD players rose 96% since July.
A report on music and film trends found CD sales rose 16%.
Andrew Wales, 67, from London, said he owns well over 10,000 CDs and began buying them in 1991.
Wales said some classical music he wants is available only on CD.
Gabriela Crowley, 32, from San Jose, said she and her husband switched from vinyl to CDs after having a baby because CDs were less bulky and more convenient.
Crowley said CDs help her avoid the large choices, autoplay and AI-generated playlists offered by streaming services.
Neil Cumming, 53, from Gloucester, said he often buys CDs directly from independent and folk musicians to give them a larger share of his money.
Cumming said streaming helps him discover music, but he prefers CDs for listening at home and values owning the discs.
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Democrat Scott Colom is challenging Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1982. The race drew increased national attention and spending after Donald Trump campaigned for Hyde-Smith, while Colom appealed to voters by arguing they have not received what they were promised.
Key Facts
Trump campaigned for Hyde-Smith at a rally in Corinth, Mississippi, one week before the election.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee did not include Colom in its $40 million investment announced in August, but national Democrats began campaigning for him in the state in October.
Colom said national Democrats had previously conceded Mississippi and that his campaign aimed to challenge that approach.
Colom spoke with people waiting to attend Trump’s rally and criticized the gap between voters’ expectations and outcomes on grocery prices, wars, and the release of the Epstein files.
Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982 and has not elected a Black person to the Senate since 1875.
Colom became the first Black district attorney for Mississippi’s 16th circuit after winning election in 2015.
Hyde-Smith has served in the Senate for eight years; she has not sponsored legislation, though she has co-sponsored 32 bills that became law.
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The article describes Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s proposals to regulate artificial intelligence, which the author says could appeal to people concerned about AI’s risks. The plans call for major technology companies to give up some investments in leading AI firms and for tighter rules on data centers, including limits on construction and measures to address local costs and impacts.
Key Facts
El-Sayed’s proposals are called AI Under Democracy and AI Under Control.
The article says AI Under Democracy would require major technology companies to divest from or abandon investments in leading AI companies within a transition period.
The article reports that Microsoft has an estimated 27% stake in OpenAI and Google owns 14% of Anthropic.
The proposals call for regulating data center development, supporting local jobs, freezing residential utility costs, and addressing noise and pollution.
The article identifies a large OpenAI-Oracle data center near Ann Arbor, Michigan, as a focus of El-Sayed’s criticism.
An NBC News poll cited in the article found that 70% of Americans were more worried than excited about AI.
A Quinnipiac poll cited in the article found that 73% of Americans were concerned AI could threaten human existence.
An August poll cited in the article found that one in nine Americans would support building a data center in their local community.
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A high-speed train collision in Spain killed at least 69 people, and rescuers searched for survivors trapped in the wreckage. An official said an “inexplicable” decision by a train controller preceded the crash.
Key Facts
The collision involved high-speed trains in Spain.
At least 69 people died.
Rescuers searched for survivors trapped after the collision.
An official described a controller’s decision as “inexplicable.”
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The article says Republicans’ Senate majority, which appeared secure a year ago, is now in doubt. It presents that uncertainty as a major rebuke to the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.
Key Facts
The article focuses on the Republican Party and the U.S. Senate.
It says losing Senate control seemed unlikely a year ago.
It says the Republican Senate majority is now in doubt.
It characterizes the uncertainty as a major rebuke to Republicans.
The article connects the Senate outlook to the midterm elections.
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Israelis awaited final election results on Thursday, October 29, 2026. Early indications suggested that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the parties seeking to replace him would win a parliamentary majority.
Key Facts
Final election results were still pending on Thursday.
The apparent results did not show a likely parliamentary majority for Netanyahu and his allies.
The parties seeking to oust Netanyahu also appeared unlikely to secure a majority.
The report was filed from Jerusalem by France 24 correspondent Clovis Casali.
The report described the choices ahead as difficult.
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A data archive published by Distributed Denial of Secrets contains records on more than 41,000 Department of Homeland Security employees and contractors, including contact details and references to internal systems and sensitive programs. DHS says it is investigating a potential breach, while Okta says it has no evidence its systems or data were compromised.
Key Facts
The records cover DHS and seven component agencies and were last updated on August 19, 2026.
The archive, called “Icepick,” was published by Distributed Denial of Secrets on Wednesday.
DDoSecrets says the data came from DHS’s Okta login system.
A group calling itself the Department of Peace claimed to have obtained the records.
WIRED’s analysis found that more than half of the records concern Customs and Border Protection staff.
The records include about 10,000 ICE staff, 6,200 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staff, and nearly 1,000 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency staff.
The leaked records show 39 Homeland Security Investigations employees in groups whose names include “CUC”; court filings describe that term as “certified undercover operation.”
DHS said it is working to address a potential breach, while Okta said it had no evidence of a compromise to its systems or data.
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President Donald Trump plans to hold a Thursday lunchtime rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to encourage support for Republican Sen. Darline Graham. The event comes less than a week before Election Day, as candidates make final efforts to reach voters.
Key Facts
Trump is scheduled to hold a rally Thursday at lunchtime.
The rally will take place in Rock Hill, South Carolina, near the North Carolina border.
Trump is campaigning for Republican Sen. Darline Graham.
Graham faces Democratic opponent Annie … in a race described as tougher than expected.
The article says less than a week remains before Election Day.
The article headline also names Vice President Vance, but the supplied text gives no details about his activities.
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Authorities found Colorado Mountain College students Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, dead on Wednesday in a basin on West Apostle Mountain. The students went missing during a planned hike in the Rocky Mountains as a heavy snowstorm hit; officials are investigating the cause of death, and foul play is not suspected.
Key Facts
Matsuda and Donlon left the college’s Leadville campus on Friday and were expected back by Sunday.
The students had told family and friends they planned to hike Ice Mountain, a peak near West Apostle Mountain that requires technical climbing.
College staff reported them missing on Monday morning.
About 60 search and rescue volunteers used helicopters, drones and dogs in the search.
A helicopter crew found a collapsed tent, sleeping bags, a stove and clothing near a lake north-west of Ice Mountain on Tuesday.
Authorities said climbing equipment was not found in the students’ dorms, tent or vehicle.
Officials said the causes of death remain under investigation and they will wait for autopsy results before offering theories.
Matsuda was studying to become a wildland firefighter, and Donlon was studying to become a mountain guide.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, whom the article describes as the Pentagon’s top military planner, according to a Pentagon official. The headline links Sylvia to Iran planning and says he allegedly failed polygraph tests, but the article text provided does not give further details about those claims.
Key Facts
A Pentagon official said Hegseth removed Sylvia.
Sylvia is an Army lieutenant general.
The article describes Sylvia as the Pentagon’s top military planner.
The headline connects Sylvia’s role to Iran planning.
The headline says Sylvia allegedly failed polygraph tests.
The provided article text does not include details about the reported polygraph tests or the reason for Sylvia’s removal.
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Finland’s president and Norway’s prime minister spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin, prompting criticism from Denmark and Sweden over the lack of coordination. The dispute reflects broader European divisions over whether and how to engage Moscow as governments seek a role in possible negotiations over the war in Ukraine.
Key Facts
Alexander Stubb and Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute call with Putin on Tuesday.
The Finnish and Norwegian leaders said they had informed allies in advance and that the call was conducted on Ukraine’s behalf.
Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said she was skeptical of the initiative and complained that Copenhagen had not coordinated it.
Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said he had not been informed before the call.
European leaders have discussed appointing a representative to negotiate directly with Moscow, but have made little progress.
The article says a new round of peace talks is expected in Abu Dhabi next month, raising European concerns about being sidelined.
Støre cited shared fish stocks in the Barents Sea and border security as reasons for Norway to engage with Russia; Stubb said the call could help prevent misunderstandings.
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HM Revenue and Customs says it will assign a dedicated compliance manager to each of more than 200 billionaires with a UK tax footprint. The effort aims to address unpaid tax among wealthy taxpayers and is expected to contribute at least £500 million toward the government’s goal of raising £10 billion in additional tax revenue by 2030.
Key Facts
HMRC says its billionaire list covers people required to pay UK tax, whether or not they formally live in the country.
Each billionaire on the list will be offered voluntary discussions with a dedicated customer compliance manager before filing taxes.
HMRC says complex affairs spanning taxes, entities and countries can make billionaire tax cases harder to manage.
The authority plans to use analytics, automated alerts and artificial intelligence to identify risks among wealthy taxpayers.
HMRC defines wealthy individuals for this monitoring effort as people with income above £200,000 or assets over £2 million in any of the past three years.
HMRC estimated the wealthy tax gap at £3.6 billion for 2024–25, or 6% of the UK’s total tax gap.
The authority says its actions will contribute at least £500 million toward a target of £10 billion in additional tax revenue by 2030.
A parliamentary committee questioned HMRC last year about its understanding of tax compliance among about 1.3 million wealthy taxpayers.
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Sen. Tim Scott called on the Department of Justice to investigate Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign. His request followed reports that the campaign sought to recruit “spoiler” candidates in Alaska to influence next week’s election.
Key Facts
Tim Scott is a Republican senator from South Carolina.
Scott called for a Department of Justice investigation of Mary Peltola’s campaign.
Reports cited in the article say the campaign sought to recruit “spoiler” candidates in Alaska.
The reported effort was aimed at affecting an election scheduled for the following week.
Scott said Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic apparatus were involved.
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Maine laundromat owner Kelly Kusnirak says she believed she was appearing in an ad for Republican Senator Susan Collins, but later found that the ad supported Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson. She now appears in a Collins campaign ad criticizing the original ad’s producers.
Key Facts
Kusnirak told The Robinson Report she thought the original ad was for Collins.
The original ad supported Jackson and included the message, “Susan Collins is too expensive for Maine.”
The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy PAC paid for the original ad.
The original ad’s disclaimer said it was not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Kusnirak said she was surprised when she saw the ad and realized it supported Jackson.
Kusnirak appears in a counter-ad paid for and authorized by the Collins campaign.
Newsweek said it contacted the Jackson campaign and the group that produced the original ad for comment.
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A train crash in Spain killed 69 people and injured scores, according to the article issued on October 29, 2026. The transport minister cited an error and what he called inexplicable circumstances, and the disaster renewed attention to railway safety.
Key Facts
The crash occurred in Spain.
The article reports 69 deaths.
The crash also injured scores of people.
Spain’s transport minister said an error contributed to the disaster.
The minister described the circumstances as inexplicable.
The crash renewed national attention to railway safety.
The article was issued on October 29, 2026.
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Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged drone and other attacks as a six-day humanitarian ceasefire continued around Russian-occupied Oleshky. Ukrainian officials reported civilian deaths and injuries in several Russian strikes, while Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses had downed 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Key Facts
Russian drones struck two districts of Kharkiv early Thursday, including an educational institution; officials had not confirmed casualties from those attacks.
Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone strike on two passenger trains at a Dnipro station killed at least 13 people and injured 10.
Russia's Defense Ministry said it had downed 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight and described the attack as one of Kyiv's largest.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said about half of the drones were heading toward the Russian capital.
A six-day humanitarian ceasefire was in effect around Oleshky in the Kherson region to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
Ukrainian regional officials reported that a Russian strike on a civilian business in the Sarny district of Rivne killed one man.
A Russian strike on an industrial facility in Dnipro injured a 35-year-old man, according to regional officials.
Washington was seeking to restart peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, with discussions expected next month, the article reported.
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UK Treasury Committee chair Meg Hillier asked the Treasury and Financial Conduct Authority to investigate whether information about a bank tax change was improperly disclosed before the budget. A Bloomberg report published more than an hour before John Healey’s statement preceded movement in bank share prices; the FCA and Treasury have been asked to assess what happened.
Key Facts
Bloomberg published a report at 10:45 a.m. saying the bank surcharge would be below the 8% lenders had feared and would be temporary.
Healey announced that the bank corporation tax surcharge would rise from 3% to 6% for 15 months starting 1 January 2027.
Hillier wrote to the Treasury’s permanent secretary and the FCA chief executive asking them to review the report and its market impact.
Hillier asked the Treasury to confirm whether banks or their representatives received advance information about the changes.
The article says bank share prices moved after the Bloomberg report appeared and before Healey’s budget statement at 12:30 p.m.
Healey is due to appear before the Commons Treasury select committee next month, where he will be asked about the leak.
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UK economic forecasts point to weak growth in household living standards through the end of the decade. Think tanks say incomes will barely rise, while higher inflation and energy costs will add pressure despite government support payments.
Key Facts
The Resolution Foundation forecasts disposable income for typical working-age households will fall by £1,050, or 3%, between now and 2029.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies says the current decade is on track to be the worst on record for household income growth.
The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts UK GDP growth slowing from 1.2% in 2026 to 1% in 2027.
The OBR raised its 2027 inflation forecast from 2% to 3.4%, citing pressures including higher borrowing costs and energy prices linked to the US-Iran war.
The government announced a £100 payment to help with rising energy costs, but the Resolution Foundation says it will not fully offset higher bills.
The OBR projects living standards across all households will grow by less than 0.1% per year by the end of the decade.
Frozen tax thresholds are reducing the take-home pay people keep from their income.
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Georgia is a key state in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff’s seat is at stake, and the result could affect which party controls the Senate. The report describes efforts to encourage African American voters, who make up about one-third of Georgia’s electorate, to vote early.
Key Facts
Jon Ossoff is a Democratic senator from Georgia.
Ossoff’s Senate seat is on the ballot in the 2026 midterms.
The race could affect control of the Senate.
African Americans make up around one-third of Georgia’s electorate.
Voters are being encouraged to vote early.
The report was issued on October 29, 2026.
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Fighting has intensified between Yemen’s Houthis and government forces on several fronts near Taiz, while both sides reported air strikes and military operations. The United Nations warned that road damage and fighting are restricting aid to Taiz, where about 800,000 people are trapped.
Key Facts
Government-affiliated media reported fighting on the Al-Aqroudh and Al-Masrakh fronts and in Al-Rahn village south of Taiz.
A Yemeni government forces spokesman claimed that government forces conducted 749 military operations in 24 hours, killing or injuring 239 militants and destroying 117 vehicles and armored vehicles.
Houthi-affiliated media reported four air strikes on Mocha and its Red Sea port.
A military source said government forces carried out three air strikes southeast of Taiz; the Houthis reported more than 100 air strikes across Sanaa and eight other governorates in 24 hours.
Flights resumed at Aden International Airport after services were suspended on Wednesday following a reported missile strike near the airport.
The UN said more than 281,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the beginning of August.
The UN warned that about 800,000 people in Taiz need aid and that damage to a key road has made access increasingly difficult.
The UN urged all parties to protect civilians and aid convoys and allow safe, sustained humanitarian access.
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